Last week compassionate people around the globe were outraged over a story about a woman named “Beth” who not only refused to let her son attend a birthday party for a friend because the child’s two fathers are gay but who sent an incredibly homophobic reply to the invitation. Well, guess what? It was all a hoax perpetrated by the two deejays who “broke” the story last Wednesday.
K-98.3’s Steve Harper and his “Morning Show” co-host, Leeana (pictured) now reveal that they created the story to “to spur a healthy discourse on a highly passionate topic.”
The radio personalities posted the fabricated story (since deleted) on the radio station’s Facebook page and included photos of the birthday party invitation along with the response from “Beth” in which she scribbled a reply that her son “Tommy” would not attend the party because she didn’t want to subject her son the the same-sex couple’s “lifestyle.” The also posted a phone number for the woman, saying she had given them permission and invited anyone who disagreed with her antigay stance to give her a call to discuss.
Read their full apology/explanation below.
Dear K-98.3 Listeners,
On Wednesday, we told you the story of Sophia’s birthday party, and one parent’s objection to the same-sex household of Sophia’s parents. We also posted the invitation on our Facebook page, and invited comments from our followers.
This story was, in fact, totally fictitious, and created by the two of us. This was done without the knowledge of K-98.3 management or ownership.
We were attempting to spur a healthy discourse on a highly passionate topic, but we made a mistake by misleading our listeners into thinking that this specific situation actually existed.
We are very sorry that we perpetuated this falsehood, even after it was clear that it had taken on a ‘life of its own.’ We deeply apologize for violating your trust, and we will work hard to regain that trust.
Sincerely,
Steve & Leeana
Harry_McMerkin
Where did all the hateful comments go? There is NOTHING more intolerant than a homosexual that you disagree with.
Congratulations, it didn’t take much to stir up a hate frenzy among you.
DShucking
We believed this because it’s easy to believe because it does actually happen. What morons like Harry do when they accuse gays of being intolerant is try to use the words we’ve been using all this time to describe actual homophobia that manifests itself in tangible ways in our society that actually affects us. His failure is that he equates that real life and dangerous intolerance of gays with a minorities intolerance of hate and bigotry. He’s made a fool of himself and doesn’t even know it but if he did it wouldn’t make much a difference since his ilk have no shame.
Dakotahgeo
Thank God it wasn’t the two gay dads. Even if it were fact, the angry, negative comments do exist in our culture and world. It did show the ugliness of the nematode right wing extremists, for sure.
tohe
Well that was pointless. This makes my subscription to Rdio (streaming) worth every peny. Radio is all about commercials, bad music and ratings.
MadMikenCT
When this shit happens it’s a bit of a setback. There are REAL stories with real people and they lose their credibility when an elaborate hoax steals the spotlight. If the DJ’s really and truly wanted to bring attention to the topic they would not have had to look for long for one that is true. Intolerance, ignorance and bigotry exists in such mass volumes and making up a story is part of the problem.
DShucking
“We were attempting to spur a healthy discourse on a highly passionate topic, but we made a mistake by misleading our listeners into thinking that this specific situation actually existed.”
They should be fired for the hoax as much as for having lied about their intention.
hyhybt
If only crying wolf harmed only the credibility of those who do it…
Never trust anything that sort of radio show says. Especially, never pass it on as genuine news without independent verification.
Tracy Pope
@Harry_McMerkin: Did the original story not bother you? Is your life so wonderful that what happens – so often – to other LGBT people just doesn’t matter enough for you to get into a frenzy?
Tracy Pope
Thankful this wasn’t real and at the same time WTF? What kind of person perpetrates a ruse like this? It’s ignorant at best and just as hateful and bigoted as the original story at worse.
Cam
@Harry_McMerkin: said…. “Where did all the hateful comments go? There is NOTHING more intolerant than a homosexual that you disagree with.
Congratulations, it didn’t take much to stir up a hate frenzy among you.
_____________________________
The typical hysterical response from a bigot. It’s funny that you bigots think that trying to strip away somebody’s civil rights and forcing them into prisons by making their lives illegal is “Disagreeing” with them.
And funny enough, I would say that Uganda killing people for being gay, or Russia arresting and torturing them is far more intolerant than somebody who “Disagrees with you”.
But then again, to bigots like you, anybody with a different opinion is enough to send you to your fainting couch foaming at the mouth isn’t it?
As for this story…whose phone number was posted? The radio stations?
hyhybt
@DShucking: all I know is that your other post and every response to it that showed up in my email is absent from this page.
hyhybt
@hyhybt: including my response which, if anything, was a defense of Queerty.
the other Greg
@hyhybt: Sensitive, aren’t they? 🙂
hyhybt
@Cam: “whose phone number” is a great question. If it was a real person who didn’t give their permission, this turns from ill-considered hoax to libel, defamation, or something in that neighborhood.
Aromaeus
White people man.
Tracy Pope
@hyhybt: I am one of those who did call the number. No I didn’t leave a message.
It is(was?)a Google Voice number which kind of leads me to believe it was set up for the responses because the amount of data/calls Google’s voice mail can hold is potentially massive.
This is all total conjecture on my part. It could be something else entirely.
Caleb in SC
@Harry_McMerkin: Looks like jimbryant has been reincarnated into another faceless troll.
Respect4all
@DShucking: I agree.
Respect4all
@Aromaeus: Remember Tawana Brawley.
Respect4all
The 2 hosts have apologized on air, but this is not enough. They have hurt the gay community. I feel personally hurt. They need to learn that there are serious consequences to their actions. THEY MUST BE FIRED! You can contact the radio station at K983.com and call (631)770-4200. Their normal business hours are M-F 8:30-5:30. I just called and got a recording. After a little patience, I was able to leave a message. Please do the same.
hyhybt
@Caleb in SC: That and perhaps checking to see if there was a real person in the area with their made-up name would be the smart way to do such a stupid thing, so to speak.
robirob
Internet trolling should be made a criminal offense that will cost your job and a lot of money.
Mezaien
@robirob: Yes!! they should have been prosecuted by the FEDERAL. K-98.3 should be close down.. YES
Aromaeus: white people man!!and don`t forget they are fucking Christian.
Ridpathos
I get that they were trying to spur discourse, but I hate things like this. I also hate it when they video tape actors pretending to be in a homophobic situation to get the reactions of real standers-by. There’s enough homophobia in the world without us having to fake it. Just share the real instances, otherwise it’ll be a case of who cried wolf.
AnitaMann
This stunt doesn’t harm the gay community. Ok. It harms the gay community with people who think rape victims are lying because some women have faked rape stories. Who cares what morons like that think? You people need to grow up.
BlackHouston
@Aromaeus: for real
alanj
@Caleb in SC:
You reckon? Let’s keep an eye on Harry Mc and see if you’re right it shouldn’t take long.
hotshot70
If it was a fraud, why even bring it up. I had never heard about it before. I say SHAME ON QUEERTY for spreading BS
BillZaumen
@AnitaMann: Oh yes it does. Lies like this only reveal con men and charlatans with a dishonest agenda, and work against people with real harm.
Think of race hustlers like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton with their lies. All they do is set the black community back terribly.
Let’s do better than that ourselves.
BillZaumen
@hotshot70: If QUEERTY was taken in and they are now setting the record straight (no pun intended) good for them.
inbama
@Tracy Pope:
Flag the troll.
Queerty should be a “safe space” for queers.
Cam
@hotshot70: said… “If it was a fraud, why even bring it up. I had never heard about it before. I say SHAME ON QUEERTY for spreading BS
__________________________
Because reporting on the original story and NOT reporting on an update that shows it as a hoax is poor journalism. Queerty reporting on the update is the correct thing to do.
Cam
@fagburn:
Funny, for somebody that seems to hate gays so much, you certainly spend all of your time on gay websites don’t you?
chaddyboy6
Truth: Leeana was my radio ad executive before becoming a DJ. What they did was wrong but I can attest that she is not anti-gay or anything like that.
HirsuteOne
I hope these homophobic trolls were fired post haste.
Respect4all
@chaddyboy6: I don’t think she’s anti-gay; just stupid, dishonest and irresponsible, all reasons that she shouldn’t be hosting a radio show.